No Reservations

…no, not with Anthony Bourdain. With Fran Cabugason. Oh how I badly want to have my own travel show. It’d be amazing if you get paid to travel, wouldn’t it? This has always been one of my dreams but I’m afraid my refusal to eat weird things would make me a bad host. I’m slowly working on this minor handicap though, and I think I’m getting better at it. I moved to Madrid ready to try anything, including weird food, and I’ve definitely done more of that here in BCN.

As I’ve mentioned before, Francisco LOVES fine dining. Eating well has never been my thing. I mean, I enjoy a nice delicious meal but my definition of a nice meal is completely different from Francisco’s. For me, a nice dinner would be at some overpriced fancy restaurant, usually involving chicken or pasta, which we all know you can make at home for very cheap. With Francisco, I’ve eaten things I would never imagine eating back at home: lamb, lots of fresh vegetables, and being near the Mediterranean, various types of fish and lots of seafood like navajas (razor clam), almejas (clams), mejillones (mussels), langostinos (prawns), berberechos (cockles), and ortigas (nettle). Most of the time, I didn’t even know what these things were called in English. I had to look them up in the dictionary because I’ve never seen or eaten them before in my life.

And the best things about this food – and why Spanish cuisine is so good – is that they are made so simply. Cooking them doesn’t usually involve lots of ingredients. If you have olive oil, sea salt, and a pan, you’re good to go. Dishes are also made in reasonable portions that there’s always room for some dessert and coffee, even if you had a couple of appetizers before the main course.

Another reason why it’s difficult to eat well in America is because it means spending a lot of money. Sometimes you spend a lot of money thinking you’re eating some amazing meal, but really you’re not. In the US, people indulge on a $30 steak because it’s supposed to be that expensive, when really it’s not cooked correctly or not even fresh meat. Fortunately in Spain, people can eat well for little or a lot of money. The ortigas, for example, were quite expensive: 16 Euros for a little plate. But they were fresh (and ridiculously delicious) and we had them at a restaurant right on the beach that attracts tourists. On the other hand, we had that paella at Jose’s that cost probably no more than 30 Euros and it could’ve probably fed more than the three of us; Or the roasted lamb we shared at a restaurant with two other people and it cost less than 30 Euros.

My appreciation for food and drink is also starting to grow. Francisco has taught me a lot on what makes something good or bad. For example, I just learned where you taste certain things on your tongue (sweet in the front, salty in the middle, bitter in the back, acidity on the sides). Apparently, he learned this in grade school. I don’t ever remember learning that! Knowing this has definitely made drinking wine more interesting.

Little by little, I’m becoming more open-minded with what I use to consider strange food. Next he wants me to try caracoles, or snails. I’m still thinking about that one. He also wants to take me to eat çalçots during its harvest time in January. They’re these stringy onions that are very popular in Catalunya. I believe Anthony Bourdain ate them in the Spain episode of No Reservations. I can’t wait! The closer I am to being like Anthony, the more likely I’ll fulfill my dream of being a travel host.